Christianity, Race, and the God of BioMedical Science

A Reflection on “Christianity, Race, and the God of BioMedical Science”

Robert O’Dell and Louise Ko Huang, Ph.D.

This year, CRIS attempts to address the following, “How does science impact racial (in)equity?” through a series of virtual events. On October 15th, Dr. Terence Keel (Associate Professor of African American Studies and the Institute of Genetics & Society at UCLA) was the keynote speaker to kick-off this series with a lecture entitled, “Christianity, Race, and the God of BioMedical Science.” Through the intersection of history and science, Dr. Keel explored the concept of race as an imagination based on early Euro-Christian interpretation of Genesis that was later used to justify slavery. Today, this worldview has implications within science and medical treatment. Intriguingly, Dr. Keel argued that a worldview of race has little scientific basis; measurable genetic differences between even the most distinct human populations are surprisingly miniscule, especially compared to differences between animal populations. While real and impactful, the concept of race likely has a much smaller scientific basis than many people think.

After the lecture, Dr. Keith Hall (Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion) moderated a robust Questions and Answers session. Many excellent questions were submitted by the audience, for example: the differences and stakes of racial imagination in literature and modern western science; religious positionality and its impact on scientific discovery; the implications of racialized science for medical practitioners; the role of church leaders related to the stigma of science and the uprooting of racism in the church. If it were not for the time constraint, the conversation could have likely continued for much longer. Due to the virtual format, nearly 100 were in attendance from APU as well as from the Midwest and the East Coast; APU alumni and friends of CRIS from the following institutions and organizations joined in: Biola University, Concordia University Irvine, Eastern University, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont Keck Institute, Caltech, UCLA, UCSD, USC, Stanford University, Colorado University-Denver, Wake Forest University, Cornell University, St. Mark’s Othordox Fellowship, American Scientific Affiliation, BioLogos, Intervarsity, GenomeEducation Consulting.

This substantive and thought-provoking lecture by Dr. Keele has inspired ongoing conversations in the Azusa Pacific community, including a post-event discussion hosted by the student-led Science & Religion Club. The Science, Faith, and Culture (SFC) Learning Collaborative conducts ongoing discussions on similar topics and it is likely that the SFC would read Dr. Keel’s book, Divine Variations next. The CRIS signature Science & Faith events have always strived to ignite learning and discussion of relevant, complex topics with ongoing conversations. Hope you can join us at future events in Spring 2021.

Stay tuned as the recording of this lecture will be made available soon. CRIS is grateful for the partnership with the Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Excellence (CDEIE) and the Student Center for Reconciliation and Diversity (SCRD) in hosting this webinar, as well as the CLAS Dean’s Office and the Office of the Provost for their support.

Robert O’Dell (Biochemistry and Humanities ‘21) is the President of the Science & Religion Club and the Co-President of the Pre-Dental Club.